Commentary on Dagamwi’s call for the release of the opposition leaders in Kaliti.

(Aigaforum Nov 27, 2006):-The Ethiopian election held in 2005, free and fair though it was, has tarnished the country’s image. With the vocal Diaspora engaged in a relentless campaign of vilification the country’s image will continue to suffer more. Lately we are encouraged some of our Diaspora community members are calling a spade a spade. Even Diaspora churches that have been a den for the extremist are having second thoughts. Clergy men and the faithful followers are distancing themselves and denying the extremist a podium in the church. However there is one issue many in the Diaspora are not willing to neither forgive nor forget. That is the jailing of the Kinijit leaders. Dagmawi has this to say on this matter.

“It is inexcusable for the TPLF/EPRDF to conduct a sham trial against the leaders of Kinijit at this time of heightened danger to Ethiopia. This farcical trial needs to be stopped immediately. The Kinijit leaders should be released so that real, serious, and sincere dialogue on democratization can resume. The repression that is driving Ethiopia towards civil war must end before it is too late.”

We would have likened to join Dagmawi if his call was for a free and fair trial. But he is not calling for such. Dagmawi may think the leaders are innocent but why he can not see the court is the best and legal body to decide ones innocence is beyond us. We know the country is not benefiting by jailing opposition leaders. God only knows how much the EPRDF regime tried to avoid such confrontation. Every step it took to compromise was taken as weakness and instead emboldened the opposition. Dagmawi can not be oblivious to the fact that the opposition could not wait to meet the prime minister even for a day thus demanded to meet him right away which the premier obliged on late Sunday night! Yet they went ahead and proceed to effect the decision to call for a “civil disobedience “that was surely to cause death and destruction. Even the State dept acknowledged when they labeled the opposition move as a “cynical “move.

Even today the extreme Diaspora leaders who says they are the representatives of Hailu Shawel and Berhanu Nega and strictly functions on the order of the two leaders have called the government as illegitimate government and signed a memorandum of understanding with Shaibya as well as the terrorist elements in Somalia by taking a stand on the current clear and present danger posed on Ethiopia

http://www.ethiopiafirst.com/news2006/Dec/KIL_on_war.pdf

 If we all are going to stand together to ask for a release of any political prisoner in Ethiopia we all have to agree the constitution as the supreme law of the land. Come rain or shine we all should work within the constitution to bring change. Ethiopia is a country for all of us and it would be foolish not to protect her in time of danger. We call Dagmawi to influence the leaders in Kaliti to do the right thing and chastise their followers and officers in Diaspora for taking the side of Shaibya, Jihadist and the ONLF.

We call on the government to expedite the court process and release those found innocent for sure and those ailing and aging. Some times looking the other way is the best way.